Virtual object control method and apparatus, terminal, and storage medium

ABSTRACT

A virtual object control method and apparatus, a terminal, and a storage medium. The method includes: displaying a virtual scene interface, the virtual scene interface including a first virtual object, second virtual objects, and ability controls; determining, in response to a first trigger operation on a first ability control, a target virtual object from the second virtual objects and according to the first trigger operation, and controlling the first virtual object to cast a first ability on the target virtual object; determining the target virtual object as an ability casting target corresponding to a second ability when a second trigger operation on a second ability control meets an ability continuous casting condition, the second trigger operation being triggered during ability casting of the first ability; and controlling the first virtual object to cast the second ability on the target virtual object.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation application of InternationalApplication No. PCT/CN2021/092000, filed on May 7, 2021, which claimspriority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010507547.6, filed withthe China National Intellectual Property Administration on Jun. 5, 2020,the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in theirentireties.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to the field of computer technologies, and inparticular, to a virtual object control method and apparatus, aterminal, and a storage medium.

BACKGROUND

In an application based on a two-dimensional or three-dimensional (3D)virtual environment, for example, a multiplayer online battle arena(MOBA), a user may control a virtual object in a virtual scene to castabilities on other virtual objects, virtual buildings, and the like, andcompete against each other using specific victory conditions as goals.

In the related art, when the user clicks/taps a plurality of abilitycontrols in a short period, abilities may be cast on different virtualobjects. However, this ability casting effect does not meet the user'sexpectation (casting abilities on the same virtual object in a shortperiod), affecting accuracy of quick ability casting.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a virtual object controlmethod and apparatus, a terminal, and a storage medium, which mayimprove casting accuracy during abilities continuous casting. Thetechnical solutions are as follows.

According to an aspect, an embodiment of the disclosure may provide avirtual object control method, performed by a terminal, the methodincluding:

-   -   displaying a virtual scene interface, the virtual scene        interface including a first virtual object, at least two second        virtual objects, and at least two ability controls, the first        virtual object and the second virtual objects being located in a        virtual scene, and the ability controls being configured to        control the first virtual object to cast abilities;    -   determining, in response to a first trigger operation on a first        ability control, a target virtual object from the at least two        second virtual objects and according to the first trigger        operation, and controlling the first virtual object to cast a        first ability on the target virtual object;    -   determining the target virtual object as an ability casting        target corresponding to a second ability in response to a second        trigger operation on a second ability control meeting an ability        continuous casting condition, the second trigger operation being        triggered during ability casting of the first ability; and        controlling the first virtual object to cast the second ability        on the target virtual object.

According to another aspect, an embodiment of the disclosure may providea virtual object control apparatus, including:

-   -   a display module, configured to display a virtual scene        interface, the virtual scene interface including a first virtual        object, at least two second virtual objects, and at least two        ability controls, the first virtual object and the second        virtual objects being located in a virtual scene, and the        ability controls being configured to control the first virtual        object to cast abilities;    -   a first control module, configured to determine, in response to        a first trigger operation on a first ability control, a target        virtual object from the at least two second virtual objects and        according to the first trigger operation, and control the first        virtual object to cast a first ability on the target virtual        object;    -   a first determining module, configured to determine the target        virtual object as an ability casting target corresponding to a        second ability in response to a second trigger operation on a        second ability control meeting an ability continuous casting        condition, the second trigger operation being triggered during        ability casting of the first ability; and    -   a second control module, configured to control the first virtual        object to cast the second ability on the target virtual object.

According to another aspect, an embodiment of the disclosure may providea terminal, including a processor and a memory, the memory storing atleast one instruction, at least one program, a code set, or aninstruction set, the at least one instruction, the at least one program,the code set, or the instruction set being loaded and executed by theprocessor to implement the virtual object control method according tothe foregoing aspect.

According to another aspect, an embodiment of the disclosure may providea non-volatile computer readable memory storage medium, storing computercode that when executed by at least one processor causes the at leastone processor to perform:

-   -   displaying a virtual scene interface, the virtual scene        interface comprising a first virtual object, at least two second        virtual objects, and at least two ability controls, the first        virtual object and the second virtual objects being located in a        virtual scene, and the ability controls being configured to        control the first virtual object to cast abilities;    -   determining, in response to a first trigger operation on a first        ability control, a target virtual object from the at least two        second virtual objects and according to the first trigger        operation, and controlling the first virtual object to cast a        first ability on the target virtual object;    -   determining the target virtual object as an ability casting        target corresponding to a second ability, when a second trigger        operation on a second ability control meets an ability        continuous casting condition, the second trigger operation being        triggered during ability casting of the first ability; and    -   controlling the first virtual object to cast the second ability        on the target virtual object.

According to another aspect, an embodiment of the disclosure may providea computer program product, the computer program product, when executedby a processor, being used for implementing the virtual object controlmethod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To describe the technical solutions of example embodiments of thisdisclosure more clearly, the following briefly introduces theaccompanying drawings for describing the example embodiments. Theaccompanying drawings in the following description show only someembodiments of the disclosure, and a person of ordinary skill in the artmay still derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings withoutcreative efforts. In addition, one of ordinary skill would understandthat aspects of example embodiments may be combined together orimplemented alone.

FIG. 1 is a schematic implementation diagram of an ability continuouscasting process in the related art.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an implementation environment accordingto an example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a virtual object control method according to anexample embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic implementation diagram of an ability continuouscasting process according to an example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a control region division manner in anability control according to an example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a virtual object control method according toanother example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a principle of an ability casting targetinheritance mechanism according to an example embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an interface of controlling a virtualobject to cast an ability according to an example embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a virtual object control method according toanother example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a structural block diagram of a virtual object controlapparatus according to an example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a structural block diagram of a terminal according to anexample embodiment of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

To make objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of thedisclosure clearer, the following further describes implementations ofthe disclosure in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The term “plurality of” mentioned in the specification means two ormore. “And/or” describes an association relationship for describingassociated objects and represents that three relationships may exist.For example, A and/or B may represent the following three cases: only Aexists, both A and B exist, and only B exists. The character “/”generally indicates an “or” relationship between the associated objects.

The terms involved in the example embodiments of the disclosure arebriefly introduced as follows:

Virtual scene: a virtual scene displayed (or provided) when anapplication is run on a terminal. The virtual scene may be a simulatedworld of the real world, a semi-simulated semi-fictional 3D world, or anentirely fictional 3D world. The virtual scene may be any one of atwo-dimensional virtual scene, a 2.5-dimensional virtual scene, and a 3Dvirtual scene.

In an embodiment, the virtual scene is further used for a virtual scenebattle between at least two virtual objects, and virtual resourcesavailable to the at least two virtual objects are provided in thevirtual scene. In an embodiment, the virtual scene includes a lower leftcorner region and an upper right corner region that are symmetrical.Virtual objects on two opposing camps occupy the regions respectively,and the objective of each side is to destroy a targetbuilding/fort/base/crystal deep in the opponent's region to win victory.

Virtual object: a movable object in a virtual scene. The movable objectmay be at least one of a virtual human, a virtual animal, and ananimated human character. When the virtual scene is a 3D virtual scene,the virtual object may be a 3D model. Each virtual object has a shapeand a volume in the 3D virtual scene, and occupies some space in the 3Dvirtual scene.

In an example embodiment, the virtual object is a 3D characterconstructed based on 3D human skeleton technology. The virtual objectwears different skins to implement different appearances. The virtualobject may also be implemented by using a 2.5-dimensional model or atwo-dimensional model, which is not limited in the embodiments of thedisclosure.

Ability: an ability in the embodiments of the disclosure is an abilitycast by a virtual character and used for modifying an attribute value ofa virtual object, another virtual object, or both a virtual object andanother virtual object. A virtual object has at least one ability, anddifferent virtual objects correspond to different abilities. An abilityof a virtual character may be obtained and upgraded during levelupgrading, and a virtual object may obtain an ability of another virtualobject.

In an example embodiment, according to ability effects, abilities may bedivided into: a damage ability (used to decrease a health point of avirtual object), a shield ability (used to add a shield for a virtualobject), an acceleration ability (used to increase a moving speed of avirtual object), a deceleration ability (used to decrease a moving speedof a virtual object), an imprison ability (used to restrict a movementof a virtual object for a certain duration), a forced displacementability (used to force a virtual object to move), a silence ability(used to restrict a virtual object from casting an ability for a certainduration), a restore ability (used to restore a health point or anenergy value of a virtual object), a field of view ability (used toobtain/shield the field of view within a certain range or anothervirtual characters), a passive ability (ability that can be triggeredwhen performing an normal attack), and the like. This is not limited inthis embodiment.

In an example embodiment, according to an ability casting manner,abilities may be divided into a targeted ability and a non-targetedability. The targeted ability is an ability specified to an abilityreceiver, that is, after a targeted ability is specified to an abilitycasting target, the ability casting target is definitely affected by theability. The non-targeted ability is an ability pointing to a specifieddirection, range, or region, and a virtual object located in thedirection, range, or region is affected by the ability.

A MOBA game is an arena game in which different virtual teams on atleast two opposing camps occupy respective map regions in a virtualscene, and compete against each other using specific victory conditionsas goals. The victory condition includes, but is not limited to, atleast one of occupying forts or destroy forts of the opposing camps,killing virtual objects in the opposing camps, surviving in a specifiedscenario and time, seizing a specific resource, and outscoring theopponent within a specified time. The battle arena game may take placein rounds. The same map or different maps may be used in differentrounds of the battle arena game. Each virtual team includes one or morevirtual objects, for example, 1 virtual object, 2 virtual objects, 3virtual objects, or 5 virtual objects.

A MOBA game is a game in which several bases are provided in a virtualscene, and users on different camps control virtual characters to battlein the virtual scene, occupy bases or destroy the base of the opposingcamp. For example, in the MOBA game, the users may be divided into twoopposing camps. The virtual characters controlled by the users arescattered in the virtual scene to compete against each other, and thevictory condition is to destroy or occupy all enemy bases. The MOBA gametakes place in rounds. A duration of a round of the MOBA game is from atime point at which the game starts to a time point at which the victorycondition is met.

In the MOBA game, a user may control a virtual object to move in avirtual scene, and can trigger the virtual object to cast acorresponding ability by using an ability control. When a triggeroperation on an ability control is received, the terminal determines,according to an ability casting range corresponding to an ability, anability casting target from virtual objects located in the abilitycasting range, so as to control the virtual object to cast an ability onthe ability casting target.

Because different abilities correspond to different ability castingranges, when a virtual object casts different abilities at the sameposition, different abilities may correspond to different abilitycasting targets. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , a second virtualobject 102 and a third virtual object 103 are around a first virtualobject 101. When a tap operation on an ability control corresponding toan ability A is received, the terminal determines, according to anability casting range 104 corresponding to the ability A, the secondvirtual object 102 with the lowest health point within the range as anability casting target. When a tap operation on an ability controlcorresponding to an ability B is received, the terminal determines,according to an ability casting range 105 corresponding to the abilityB, the third virtual object 103 with the lowest health point within therange as an ability casting target.

By using the foregoing ability casting target determining methods, eachability casting of the terminal is regarded as an independent procedure.Correspondingly, there is no correlation between ability casting targetsof ability casting. However, during actual applications, the user mayquickly trigger different abilities, to cause damage to the same virtualobject in a short time period. If the foregoing method is adopted, whendifferent abilities indicate different ability casting targets,different abilities may be cast on different objects, which affectsaccuracy of ability casting.

In this embodiment of the disclosure, by introducing an ability castingtarget inheritance mechanism, when casting abilities continuously acurrent ability can inherit an ability casting target of a previousability (during casting), and does not search an ability casting targetaccording to a conventional searching rule. Therefore, differentabilities cast continuously can be cast on the same ability castingtarget, so as to cause damage to the same virtual object in a shortperiod and to improve accuracy of ability casting.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an implementation environment accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure. The implementation environment mayinclude a first terminal 210, a server 220, and a second terminal 230.

An application 211 supporting a virtual scene, for example, amultiplayer online battle program, is installed and run on the firstterminal 210. When the first terminal 210 runs the application 211, auser interface (UI) of the application 211 is displayed on a screen ofthe first terminal 210. The application 211 may be any one of a militarysimulation program, a MOBA game, a battle royale shooting game, and asimulation game (SLG).

In this embodiment, an example in which the application 211 is a MOBAgame is used for description. The first terminal 210 is a terminal usedby a first user 212. The first user 212 uses the first terminal 210 tocontrol a first virtual object located in a virtual scene to performactivities, and the first virtual object may be referred to as a mastervirtual object of the first user 212. The activities of the firstvirtual object include, but are not limited to: at least one of bodypostures adjusting, crawling, walking, running, riding, flying, jumping,driving, picking, shooting, attacking, throwing, and ability casting.For example, the first virtual object is a first virtual character suchas a simulated character or a cartoon character.

An application 231 supporting a virtual scene, for example, amultiplayer online battle program, is installed and run on the secondterminal 230, and the application 231. When the second terminal 230 runsthe application 231, a UI of the application 231 is displayed on ascreen of the second terminal 230. The client may be any one of amilitary simulation program, a MOBA game, a battle royale shooting game,and an SLG.

In this embodiment, an example in which the application 231 is a MOBAgame is used for description. The second terminal 230 is a terminal usedby a second user 232. The second user 232 uses the second terminal 230to control a second virtual object located in a virtual scene to performactivities, and the second virtual object may be referred to as a mastervirtual character of the second user 232. For example, the secondvirtual object is a second virtual character, such as a simulatedcharacter or a cartoon character.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first virtual object and thesecond virtual object are located in the same virtual scene. The firstvirtual object and the second virtual object may belong to the samecamp, the same team, or the same organization, may be friends of eachother, or may have a temporary communication permission. The firstvirtual object and the second virtual object may belong to differentcamps, different teams, different organizations, or may be enemies ofeach other.

The applications installed on the first terminal 210 and the secondterminal 230 are the same, or the applications installed on the twoterminals are the same type of applications on different operatingsystem platforms (Android system or iOS system). The first terminal 210may generally refer to one of a plurality of terminals, and the secondterminal 230 may generally refer to another one of the plurality ofterminals. In this embodiment, the first terminal 210 and the secondterminal 230 are merely used as an example for description. The firstterminal 210 and the second terminal 230 are of the same or differentdevice types, and the device type includes at least one of a smartphone,a tablet computer, an e-book reader, a digital player, a laptop, and adesktop computer.

Although FIG. 2 shows only two terminals, a plurality of other terminalsmay access the server 220 in different embodiments. In an embodiment,one or more terminals are terminals corresponding to a developer. Adeveloping and editing platform for the application supporting a virtualscene is installed on the terminal. The developer can edit and updatethe application on the terminal and transmit an updated applicationinstallation package to the server 220 through a wired or wirelessnetwork. The first terminal 210 and the second terminal 230 can downloadan application installation package from the server 220 to update theapplication.

The first terminal 210, the second terminal 230, and the anotherterminal are connected to the server 220 through a wireless network or awired network.

The server 220 includes at least one of one server, a server clusterincluding a plurality of servers, a cloud computing platform, and avirtualization center. The server 220 is configured to provide a backendservice for an application supporting a 3D virtual scene. For example,the server 220 is responsible for primary computing work, and theterminal is responsible for secondary computing work; or the server 220is responsible for secondary computing work, and the terminal isresponsible for primary computing work; or the server 220 and theterminals perform collaborative computing by using a distributedcomputing architecture among each other.

In a schematic example, the server 220 includes a memory 221, aprocessor 222, a user account database 223, a battle service module 224,and a user-oriented input/output (I/O) interface 225. The processor 222is configured to load instructions stored in the server 220, and processdata in the user account database 223 and the battle service module 224.The user account database 223 is configured to store data of useraccounts used by the first terminal 210, the second terminal 230, andthe other terminals, for example, avatars of the user accounts,nicknames of the user accounts, battle effectiveness indexes of the useraccounts, and service zones of the user accounts. The battle servicemodule 224 is configured to provide a plurality of battle rooms for theusers to battle, for example, a 1V1 battle room, a 3V3 battle room, a5V5 battle room, and the like. The user-oriented I/O interface 225 isconfigured to establish communication between the first terminal 210and/or the second terminal 230 via a wireless network or a wired networkfor data exchange.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a virtual object control method according to anexample embodiment of the disclosure. An example in which the method isused in the first terminal 210 or the second terminal 230 in theimplementation environment shown in FIG. 2 or other terminals in theimplementation environment is used to describe this embodiment. Themethod includes the following operations:

Operation 301: Display a virtual scene interface, the virtual sceneinterface including a first virtual object, at least two second virtualobjects, and at least two ability controls, the first virtual object andthe second virtual objects being located in a virtual scene, and theability controls being configured to control the first virtual object tocast abilities.

The second virtual object may include a virtual object belonging to thesame camp as the first virtual object, or may include a virtual objectbelonging to a different camp from the first virtual object.

In some embodiments, both the first virtual object and the secondvirtual object are virtual objects controlled by users in a battle.Alternatively, the first virtual object may be a virtual objectcontrolled by a user in a battle, but the second virtual object may be avirtual object controlled by a server, that is, an artificialintelligence (AI) virtual object.

In an example embodiment, the virtual scene interface includes a virtualscene picture and a control layer located on an upper layer of thevirtual scene picture, and the ability control is located on the controllayer. In addition to the ability control, a data bar, a movementcontrol, a map control, a normal attack control, a virtual prop control,a message control, a record control, and other UI controls mayalternatively be set on the control layer. This is not limited in thisembodiment.

The virtual scene is a virtual scene with arbitrary boundary shapes, andthe first virtual object is located in a visible range of the virtualscene interface. The first virtual object may be located at a visualcenter of the virtual scene picture, that is, located at a center of avirtual scene picture obtained by observing the virtual scene by using athird-person perspective.

Perspective refers to an observation angle at which observation isperformed in a virtual scene from a first-person perspective or athird-person perspective of a virtual character. In an embodiment of thedisclosure, the perspective is an angle for observing the virtualcharacter through a camera model in the virtual scene.

In an example embodiment, the camera model automatically follows thevirtual object in the virtual scene. That is, when a position of thevirtual object in the virtual scene changes, a position of the cameramodel following the virtual object in the virtual scene changessimultaneously, and the camera model is always within a preset distancerange of the virtual object in the virtual scene.

In the automatic following process, relative positions of the cameramodel and the virtual object may remain unchanged. The third-personperspective is used as an example for description in this embodiment ofthe disclosure in which the camera model is located behind the virtualobject (for example, the head and the shoulders of the virtualcharacter).

In some embodiments, the ability control adopts a button, and the firstvirtual object may be controlled to cast corresponding abilities onother virtual objects by triggering the button.

Operation 302: Determine, in response to a first trigger operation on afirst ability control, a target virtual object from the at least twosecond virtual objects and according to the first trigger operation, andcontrol the first virtual object to cast a first ability on the targetvirtual object.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first ability corresponding tothe first ability control is an ability having an active castingfunction, and an ability casting target (that is, a virtual objectaffected by the ability) of the first ability is a virtual objectbelonging to the same camp as the first virtual object, or is a virtualobject belonging to different camps from the first virtual object. Inthis embodiment of the disclosure, the ability casting target of thefirst ability is the target virtual object in the second virtualobjects. The target virtual object is at least one virtual object.

In an example embodiment of the disclosure, the first trigger operationis at least one of a tap operation, a double-tap operation, a pressoperation, a drag operation, and a long press operation. An operationtype of the first trigger operation is related to a casting manner ofthe first ability. For example, when the first ability is a targetedability, the first trigger operation is a tap operation, and when thefirst ability is a non-targeted ability, the first trigger operation isa drag operation.

In some embodiments, the same ability control corresponds to at leasttwo trigger operations. For example, an ability control corresponds totwo trigger operations, which are respectively used for activelyselecting an ability casting target (direction or range) orautomatically selecting an ability casting target (direction or range).

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first trigger operation is usedfor triggering the terminal to determine a target virtual object(automatic searching) from at least one second virtual object accordingto a target automatic searching rule. Alternatively, the first triggeroperation is used for triggering the terminal to determine a specifiedvirtual object in at least one second virtual object as a target virtualobject (actively aiming). The specified virtual object is indicated bythe first trigger operation.

In an example embodiment, when the first virtual object casts the firstability, the first virtual object presents a corresponding abilitycasting animation. Alternatively, the terminal controls the firstvirtual object to perform a corresponding ability casting action.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , when a tap operation corresponding toan ability control 41 corresponding to an ability A is received, theterminal controls the first virtual object 42 to cast the ability A on amage 44 (that is, the target virtual object) in a first ability castingrange 43.

Operation 303: Determine the target virtual object as an ability castingtarget corresponding to a second ability in response to a second triggeroperation on a second ability control meeting an ability continuouscasting condition, the second trigger operation being triggered duringability casting of the first ability.

In a casting process of the first ability, if a second trigger operationon the second ability control is received, different from that in therelated art, the terminal determines an ability casting target(direction or range) of the second ability according to the secondtrigger operation, an ability casting rule and an ability casting rangecorresponding to the second ability, and a relative orientation of eachsecond virtual object and the first virtual object.

In an example embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal detects whetherthe second trigger operation meets the ability continuous castingcondition. If the condition to continuous casting is met, the terminaldetermines the ability casting target corresponding to the secondability as the target virtual object. If the condition to continuouscasting is not met, the terminal determines the ability casting targetof the second ability according to the method provided in the relatedart.

In some embodiments, the ability continuous casting condition includesan ability trigger operation condition and an ability casting timecondition. Correspondingly, when the second trigger operation meets theability trigger operation condition and a trigger time corresponding tothe second trigger operation meets the ability casting time condition,the second trigger operation is determined to meet the abilitycontinuous casting condition.

Similar to the first ability, the second ability is also an abilityhaving an active casting function.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , when a tap operation corresponding toan ability control 45 corresponding to an ability B is received in acasting process of the ability A, because the ability continuous castingcondition is met, the terminal determines the mage 44 as an abilitycasting target of the ability B.

Operation 304: Control the first virtual object to cast the secondability on the target virtual object.

Further, the terminal controls the first virtual object to cast thesecond ability on the target virtual object, so that under an abilitycontinuous casting, and even if the continuously cast abilitiescorrespond to different ability casting ranges, the abilities can becast on the same virtual object.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the terminal controls the firstvirtual object 42 to cast the ability A and the ability B (the ability Ais cast before the ability B) on the mage 44. If the method in therelated art is adopted, because a second ability casting range 46 of theability B is larger than the first ability casting range 43, and ahealth point of a warrior 47 in the second ability casting range 46 islower than that of the mage 44, it is determined that the abilitycasting target of the ability B is the warrior 47, not the mage 44.

In some embodiments, if a third trigger operation on a third abilitycontrol (may be different from the first ability control and the secondability control, or may be the first ability control (the first abilityhas been cast and is in a status that can be cast)) is received in acasting process of the second ability, and the third trigger operationmeets the ability continuous casting condition, the terminal furtherdetermines the target virtual object as an ability casting targetcorresponding to a third ability, and controls the first virtual objectto cast the third ability. This is not repeated in this embodimentherein.

Based on the above, in this embodiment of the disclosure, when a triggeroperation on an ability control is received, if the trigger operation istriggered in an ability casting process of a previous ability and thetrigger operation meets an ability continuous casting condition, anability casting target indicated by the previous ability is determinedas an ability casting target indicated by the current ability, so as tocontrol a virtual object to cast an ability on the ability castingtarget. Through the ability casting target inheritance mechanism, aproblem that continuously cast abilities are cast on different objectsbecause different abilities correspond to different ability range can beavoided, and abilities may be cast on the same object continuously in anability continuous casting scenario, thereby improving accuracy ofability casting.

In an embodiment, to enable the ability casting to meet quick castingrequirements of the user and the active aiming requirements, a controlregion of an ability control is divided into two parts, which arerespectively an automatic control region and an active control region.The automatic control region is used for triggering a terminal toautomatically determine an ability casting target, direction, or range,and the active control region is used for triggering a user to activelyselect an ability casting target, direction, or range. Correspondingly,the user may trigger to cast an ability quickly by performing a touchoperation on the automatic control region of the ability control, andmay actively select an ability casting target by performing a touchoperation on the active control region of the ability control, so as toaim actively.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , an ability control 50 includes anautomatic control region 51 and an active control region 52. Theautomatic control region 51 is a circular region centered on a center ofthe ability control 50, and the active control region 52 is a ringregion outside the automatic control region 51 and in the abilitycontrol 50. When a tap operation (an operation of quickly lifting aftertouching, as shown on the left side in FIG. 5 ) on the automatic controlregion 51 is received, the terminal automatically determines an abilitycasting target according to an ability casting range and a relativeposition between another virtual object and a current controlled virtualobject, and casts an ability on the ability casting target. When a dragoperation (touch and drag, as shown in the right side in FIG. 5 ) on theactive control region 52 is received, the terminal determines an abilitycasting target (a target actively selected by the user may be marked ina special manner such as highlight) according to a mapping relationshipbetween a touch position in the active control region 52 and a virtualobject in a virtual scene, and controls the virtual object to cast anability on the ability casting target after the drag operation.

The foregoing embodiment is merely used to describe a division manner ofan automatic control region and an active control region in an abilitycontrol schematically, and the ability control may further adopt otherpossible control region division manners. This is not limited in thisembodiment.

If the second ability control adopts the foregoing control regiondivision manner, to avoid wrongly replacing an ability casting objectactively selected by the user by using the second ability control withthe ability casting object of the first ability, the terminal needs todetermine whether to inherit the ability casting target based on acontrol region in which the touch operation is located. A schematicembodiment is provided for description.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a virtual object control method according toanother example embodiment of the disclosure. An example in which themethod is used in the first terminal 210 or the second terminal 230 inthe implementation environment shown in FIG. 2 or other terminals in theimplementation environment is used to describe this embodiment. Themethod includes the following operations:

Operation 601: Display a virtual scene interface, the virtual sceneinterface including a first virtual object, at least two second virtualobjects, and at least two ability controls, the first virtual object andthe second virtual objects being located in a virtual scene, and theability controls being configured to control the first virtual object tocast abilities.

For the implementation of this operation, reference may be made tooperation 301, and details are not described again in this embodiment.

Operation 602: Determine, in response to a first trigger operation on afirst ability control, a target virtual object from the at least twosecond virtual objects and according to the first trigger operation, andcontrol the first virtual object to cast a first ability on the targetvirtual object.

To inherit the ability casting target subsequently, when controlling thefirst virtual object to cast the first ability, a specific targetvirtual object (that is, a specific ability casting target) is required.

In an example embodiment, the first ability control also includes anautomatic control region and an active control region. The targetvirtual object may be specified by a first trigger operation located inthe active control region, or may be determined according to a targetautomatic searching rule of the first ability after the terminalreceives a first trigger operation located in the automatic controlregion.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal determines the targetvirtual object according to a target automatic searching rulecorresponding to the first ability and in a case that the first abilityis a targeted ability or a non-targeted ability and a touch end positionof the first trigger operation is located in the automatic controlregion, and casts the first ability, and

determines, in a case that the first ability is a targeted ability and atouch end position of the first trigger operation is located in theactive control region, a second virtual object corresponding to thetouch end position as the target virtual object, and casts the firstability.

In some embodiments, the target automatic searching rule includes atleast one of the following: determining an enemy virtual object with alowest health point (an absolute health point or a percentage of healthpoint) in an ability casting range as an ability casting target (whenthe ability is cast on an enemy virtual object); determining a friendvirtual object with a lowest health point in an ability casting range asan ability casting target (when the ability is cast on a friend virtualobject); and determining an enemy virtual object closest to a currentvirtual object in an ability casting range as an ability casting object.

When the first ability is a targeted ability and the touch end positionof the first trigger operation is located in the automatic controlregion, the terminal controls the first virtual object to cast the firstability on the target virtual object directionally, which is notshielded or affected by another object between the target virtual objectand the first virtual object.

When the first ability is a non-targeted ability and the touch endposition of the first trigger operation is located in the automaticcontrol region, the terminal controls, according to a relative directionbetween the target virtual object and the first virtual object, thefirst virtual object to cast the first ability according to the relativedirection. For example, the first ability (a range-type ability) is castin the ability casting range of the first ability by using the relativedirection as an ability casting center, or the first ability (aballistic trajectory type ability) is cast according to a relativeorientation. When the target virtual object moves during abilitycasting, or there is another object between the target virtual objectand the first virtual object, casting effect of the first ability isaffected, and even the target virtual object cannot be hit.

When the first ability is a targeted ability and the touch end positionof the first trigger operation is located in the active control region,it represents that the user needs to aim actively. Therefore, theterminal determines the second virtual object corresponding to the touchend position as the target virtual object, and cast the first ability onthe target virtual object directionally.

When the first ability is a non-targeted ability and the touch endposition of the first trigger operation is located in the active controlregion, because there may be a plurality of virtual objects in anability casting direction indicated by the touch end position, theterminal cannot specify the ability casting target. That is, theterminal cannot determine the target virtual object corresponding to thefirst ability. Correspondingly, even if a second trigger operationmeeting the ability continuous casting condition is receivedsubsequently, the ability casting target inheritance mechanism cannot beenabled.

Operation 603: Determine a target inheritance period corresponding tothe target virtual object according to an ability flow corresponding tothe first ability and in response to the first trigger operation, theability flow being used for controlling a cast procedure of the firstability, and the target inheritance period being a valid period for thesecond ability to inherit the target virtual object.

Skill casting is not instantaneous and requires a series of abilityprocedures, that is, it takes a certain amount of time from thebeginning of ability casting to the end of ability casting. The abilityflow, that is, a logic layer, is configured to control a control logicof an ability cast procedure. Different abilities correspond todifferent ability flows.

In an example embodiment, the inheritance for the target virtual objecthas a valid period, that is, not all second trigger operations on thesecond ability control received at any time in a casting process of thefirst ability meet the ability continuous casting condition. Only secondtrigger operations (that is, there is a requirement on a touch time ofthe second trigger operation) received in a valid inheritance period ina casting process of the first ability can meet the ability continuouscasting condition.

For example, because the valid period is related to the cast procedureof the first ability, the terminal obtains an ability flow correspondingto the first ability from the logic layer after receiving the firsttrigger operation on the first ability control, further to determine atarget inheritance period corresponding to the target virtual objectaccording to a first ability cast procedure indicated by the abilityflow. The target inheritance period is a middle and early period of thefirst ability cast procedure.

In some embodiments, the cast procedure controlled by the ability flowincludes an ability casting preparation stage, an ability casting stage,and an ability casting ending stage. The ability casting preparationstage is also referred to as an ability anticipation stage, and in thisstage, the virtual object presents an ability casting preparationaction. The ability casting ending stage is also referred to as anability post-shake stage, and in this stage, the virtual object presentsan ability casting ending action.

In an example embodiment, if a trigger operation on a current ability isreceived in an ability casting preparation stage or ability castingstage of a previous ability, it represents that there is an abilitycontinuous casting requirement, so as to determine that an abilitycontinuous casting condition is met. If a trigger operation on a currentability is received in an ability casting ending stage of a previousability, because the previous ability has been cast (additional effectsmay not be cast to the ability casting target in the ability castingending stage), there is no ability continuous casting requirement, so asto determine that the ability continuous casting condition is not met.The process of determining a target inheritance period corresponding tothe target virtual object according to the ability flow may include thefollowing steps:

1. Determine a duration of the target inheritance period according to afirst duration of the ability casting preparation stage and a secondduration of the ability casting stage.

In an example embodiment, the terminal determines a trigger operationwhose triggered time is in an ability casting preparation stage orability casting stage corresponding to a previous ability as a triggeroperation meeting the ability continuous casting condition.Correspondingly, after obtaining an ability flow of the first ability,the terminal obtains a first duration of the ability casting preparationstage and a second duration of an ability casting stage, further todetermine a sum of the first duration and the second duration as theduration of the target inheritance period.

For example, in the ability flow corresponding to the first ability, ifthe first duration of the ability casting preparation stage is 100 ms,and the second duration of the ability casting stage is 125 ms, then theterminal determines the duration of a target inheritance period as 225ms.

In an example embodiment, the terminal may alternatively determine aduration shorter than the sum of the first duration and the secondduration as the duration of the target inheritance period. This is notlimited in this embodiment.

Different abilities correspond to different durations of an abilitycasting preparation stage and ability casting stage, thus differentabilities correspond to different durations of a target inheritanceperiod.

2. Determine the target inheritance period according to a startexecution time and the duration of the ability flow.

Further, the terminal determines a start time of the target inheritanceperiod and an end time according to a start execution time of theability flow and a duration of the target inheritance period. The starttime is the start execution time of the ability flow, and the end timeis determined according to the duration and the start time.

In an example embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , when a trigger operationon the first ability control is received, the terminal performs anability flow corresponding to the first ability, and sets a targetinheritance node between the beginning and the end of the ability flow,and a time between the beginning of the ability flow and the targetinheritance node may be used as the target inheritance period.

There is no strict sequence between operation 602 and operation 603. Theterminal may perform operation 602 and operation 603 synchronously afterthe first trigger operation is received. This is not limited in thisembodiment.

Operation 604: Receive a trigger operation on the second abilitycontrol.

In a casting process of the first ability, the terminal receives atrigger operation on the second ability control.

Operation 605: Determine, in response to a touch end positioncorresponding to the trigger operation on the second ability controlbeing located in the automatic control region, that the triggeroperation on the second ability control belongs to the second triggeroperation.

In order to avoid the failure of active aiming caused by enabling theability casting target inheritance mechanism, the user may select anability casting target by using an active aiming function provided bythe second ability control. In this embodiment, the terminal obtains atouch end position corresponding to a trigger operation, and determinesthat the trigger operation belongs to the second trigger operation whenthe touch end position is located in the automatic control region (itrepresents that the user does not aim actively, that is, the user doesnot specify an ability casting target), that is, the trigger operationmeets a trigger operation condition in the ability continuous castingcondition.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the touch end position is locatedin the automatic control region 51, the terminal determines that atrigger operation on the ability control 50 meets the trigger operationcondition in the ability continuous casting condition.

Operation 606: Determine, in response to the trigger operation on thesecond ability control belonging to the second trigger operation, and atriggered time of the second trigger operation is in the targetinheritance period, that the second trigger operation meets the abilitycontinuous casting condition, and obtain an ability casting range and anability casting rule of the second ability.

Further, when the trigger operation condition is met, the terminalfurther detects whether the triggered time of the second triggeroperation is in the target inheritance period, determines that thesecond trigger operation meets a triggered time condition if thetriggered time of the second trigger operation is in the targetinheritance period, and further determines that the second triggeroperation meets the ability continuous casting condition.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , the user first taps a first abilitycontrol 41, and controls the first virtual object 42 to cast an abilityA to the mage 44. When the ability A is in a cooling state, the userquickly taps an automatic control region 451 of a second ability control45. Because a time for tapping the second ability control 45 belongs tothe target inheritance period, the terminal determines the mage 44 asthe ability casting target of an ability B.

For example, the terminal determines an ability casting target (may bethe same as or different from the target virtual object) of a secondability from at least two second virtual objects according to the secondtrigger operation and an ability casting rule and an ability castingrange of the second ability, in response to the trigger operation on thesecond ability control not belonging to the second trigger operation, orthe triggered time of the second trigger operation being outside thetarget inheritance period.

Because different abilities have different ability casting ranges andability casting rules, if the inherited target virtual object does notmeet the ability casting range or the ability casting rule of the secondability, invalid ability casting may occur. Therefore, in someembodiments, when the second trigger operation meets the abilitycontinuous casting condition, the terminal further obtains the abilitycasting range and the ability casting rule of the second ability, anddetects whether the target virtual object meets the ability castingrange and the ability casting rule.

For example, the ability casting rule includes a casting target rule.The casting target rule indicates that: only can be cast on a friendvirtual object, only can be cast on an enemy virtual object, only can becast on an enemy hero, or only can be cast on an enemy virtual object ina predetermined duration.

In an example embodiment, the terminal obtains position information ofthe target virtual object in the virtual scene and attribute informationof the target virtual object, so as to detect whether the target virtualobject is in the ability casting range of the second ability accordingto the position information and detect whether the target virtual objectmeets the ability casting rule according to the attribute information.

The attribute information may include at least one of the following: acamp to which the virtual object belongs, a health point, an energyvalue, and an ability cast in a predetermined duration.

Operation 607: Determine the target virtual object as the abilitycasting target corresponding to the second ability in response to thetarget virtual object being located in the ability casting range and thetarget virtual object meeting the ability casting rule.

When the target virtual object is located in the ability casting rangeand the target virtual object meets the ability casting rule, theterminal determines that the second ability can be cast on the targetvirtual object, so as to determine an ability casting targetcorresponding to the second ability is the target virtual object.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , when the trigger operation on thesecond ability control is received in the target inheritance period, thesecond ability inherits the ability casting target of the first ability.If the trigger operation on the second ability control is receivedoutside the target inheritance period, the terminal dynamicallydetermines the ability casting target of the second ability according tothe ability casting range and the ability casting rule of the secondability.

In an example embodiment, if the target virtual object is locatedoutside the ability casting range, and/or, the target virtual objectdoes not meet the ability casting rule, the terminal determines that thesecond virtual object belongs to the ability casting target of thesecond ability determined according to the ability casting range and theability casting rule of the second ability.

In some embodiments, since continuously cast abilities are usually acombined ability, to further improve the accuracy of ability casting,when an ability casting combination formed by the first ability and thesecond ability belongs to an ability combination list of the firstvirtual object, the terminal determines the target virtual object as theability casting target corresponding to the second ability. The abilitycombination list includes at least one ability casting combinationcorresponding to the first virtual object, and the ability castingcombination includes at least two abilities and a casting sequencebetween the abilities.

In an example embodiment, the terminal stores ability combination listscorresponding to different virtual objects, and each ability combinationin the ability combination list is formed by at least two abilities, andthere is a specified ability casting sequence. For example, an abilitycombination list may be shown as Table 1:

TABLE 1 Ability combination First ability Second ability 1 Ability AAbility B 2 Ability B Ability C

The ability combination 1 includes an ability A and an ability B wherethe ability A is cast before the ability B. The ability combination 2includes an ability B and an ability C where the ability B is castbefore the ability C.

When the first ability and the second ability belong to an abilitycombination in the ability combination list, and an ability sequencemeets an ability casting sequence in the ability combination, it isdetermined that an ability casting combination formed by the firstability and the second ability belongs to the ability combination list.

For example, when trigger operations on the ability A and the ability Bare received consecutively, because the ability A and the ability Bbelong to the ability combination 1, and a sequence for receiving thetrigger operations meets the ability casting sequence of the abilitycombination, the terminal determines an ability casting target of theability A as an ability casting target of the ability B. If triggeroperations on the ability A and the ability C are receivedconsecutively, because an ability casting combination formed by theability A and the ability C does not belong to the ability combinationlist, the ability C cannot inherit the ability casting target of theability A directly.

Operation 608: Control the first virtual object to cast the secondability on the target virtual object in response to the second abilitybeing a targeted ability.

For different types of second abilities, manners for controlling thefirst virtual object to cast the second abilities after the abilitycasting target is inherited may also be different.

For example, when the second ability is a targeted ability (the targetedability is an ability with a specified ability casting target), theterminal controls the first virtual object to cast the second ability onthe target virtual object directly. No matter whether the target virtualobject moves or whether there is another object between the targetvirtual object and the first virtual object, the second ability canaffect the target virtual object directly. For example, the secondability is a targeted damage ability, and the second ability is tochange a health point of the target virtual object targeted.

Operation 609: Determine a relative direction of the target virtualobject relative to the first virtual object in response to the secondability being a non-targeted ability; and control the first virtualobject to cast the second ability according to the relative direction.

For example, when the second ability is a non-targeted ability, theterminal controls, according to a relative direction of a currentposition of the target virtual object and the first virtual object, thefirst virtual object to cast the second ability according to therelative direction.

When the target virtual object is displaced in a casting process of thesecond ability, or there is another virtual object between the targetvirtual object and the first virtual object, the second ability may nothit the target virtual object or the ability effect of the secondability may be affected.

In an example embodiment, the virtual object control method shown inFIG. 9 is applied in the first terminal 210 or the second terminal 230in the implementation environment or another terminal in theimplementation environment shown in FIG. 2 . When a trigger operation onan ability control is received, an ability casting target is determinedby using the following operations:

Operation 901: Receive an ability casting operation.

Operation 902: Detect whether there is an ability being cast. Operation903 is performed if there is an ability being cast, and operation 907 isperformed if there is not an ability being cast.

Operation 903: Detect whether the ability being cast has an abilitycasting target. Operation 904 is performed if the ability being cast hasan ability casting target, and operation 907 is performed if the abilitybeing cast does not have an ability casting target.

Operation 904: Detect whether a second trigger operation meets anability continuous casting condition. Operation 905 is performed if thesecond trigger operation meets the ability continuous casting condition,and operation 907 is performed if the second trigger operation does notmeet an ability continuous casting condition.

Operation 905: Detect whether an ability casting target of the abilitybeing cast meets an ability casting condition of a current ability.Operation 906 is performed if the ability casting target of the abilitybeing cast meets the ability casting condition of the current ability,and operation 907 is performed if the ability casting target of theability being cast does not meet the ability casting condition of thecurrent ability.

Operation 906: Inherit the ability casting target of the ability beingcast.

Operation 907: Perform a default procedure for determining the abilitycasting target.

In conclusion, in this embodiment, for a second ability control havingan automatic control region and an active control region, only when atrigger operation on the second ability control is located in theautomatic control region, the terminal enables an ability casting objectinheritance mechanism, thereby avoiding affecting an active aimingoperation of the user, and further improving accuracy of continuousability casting.

In addition, in this embodiment, the terminal determines a validinheritance period of an ability casting target according to durationsof an ability casting preparation stage and an ability casting stage inan ability flow, and enables an ability casting object inheritancemechanism when a triggered time of the trigger operation on the secondability control is within an ability valid period, to avoid a problemthat an ability casting target of a current ability is still an abilitycasting target of a previous cast ability, thereby improving accuracy ofcontinuous ability casting.

In addition, in this embodiment, the terminal determines whether toinherit an ability casting target by detecting whether a continuouslycast ability belongs to an ability combination, which helps improveaccuracy of ability combination casting.

FIG. 10 is a structural block diagram of a virtual object controlapparatus according to an example embodiment of the disclosure. Theapparatus may include:

a display module 1001, configured to display a virtual scene interface,the virtual scene interface including a first virtual object, at leasttwo second virtual objects, and at least two ability controls, the firstvirtual object and the second virtual objects being located in a virtualscene, and the ability controls being configured to control the firstvirtual object to cast abilities;

a first control module 1002, configured to determine, in response to afirst trigger operation on a first ability control, a target virtualobject from the at least two second virtual objects and according to thefirst trigger operation, and control the first virtual object to cast afirst ability on the target virtual object;

a first determining module 1003, configured to determine the targetvirtual object as an ability casting target corresponding to a secondability in response to a second trigger operation on a second abilitycontrol meeting an ability continuous casting condition, the secondtrigger operation being triggered during ability casting of the firstability; and

a second control module 1004, configured to control the first virtualobject to cast the second ability on the target virtual object.

The Apparatus May Further Include:

an inheritance period determining module, configured to determine atarget inheritance period corresponding to the target virtual objectaccording to an ability flow corresponding to the first ability and inresponse to the first trigger operation on the first ability control,the ability flow being used for controlling a cast procedure of thefirst ability, and the target inheritance period being a valid periodfor the second ability to inherit the target virtual object.

In an example embodiment, the first determining module 1003 includes:

an operation receiving unit, configured to receive a trigger operationon the second ability control; and

a determining unit, configured to determine, in response to the triggeroperation on the second ability control belonging to the second triggeroperation, and a triggered time of the second trigger operation is inthe target inheritance period, that the second trigger operation meetsthe ability continuous casting condition, and determine the targetvirtual object as the ability casting target corresponding to the secondability.

For example, the cast procedure controlled by the ability flow includesan ability casting preparation stage, an ability casting stage, and anability casting ending stage.

In an example embodiment, the inheritance period determining module isconfigured to:

determine a duration of the target inheritance period according to afirst duration of the ability casting preparation stage and a secondduration of the ability casting stage; and

determine the target inheritance period according to a start executiontime and the duration of the ability flow.

For example, the second ability control includes an automatic controlregion and an active control region, the automatic control region isused for triggering a terminal to determine an ability casting target,direction, or range, and the active control region is used fortriggering a user to select an ability casting target, direction, orrange.

In an example embodiment, the apparatus includes:

an operation determining module, configured to determine, in response toa touch end position corresponding to the trigger operation on thesecond ability control being located in the automatic control region,that the trigger operation on the second ability control belongs to thesecond trigger operation.

In an example embodiment, the first determining module 1003 furtherincludes:

a rule obtaining unit, configured to obtain an ability casting range andan ability casting rule of the second ability.

In an example embodiment, the determining unit may be further configuredto determine the target virtual object as the ability casting targetcorresponding to the second ability in response to the target virtualobject being located in the ability casting range and the target virtualobject meeting the ability casting rule.

In an example embodiment, the first determining module 1003 isconfigured to:

determine the target virtual object as the ability casting targetcorresponding to the second ability in response to the target virtualobject being located in the ability casting range, the target virtualobject meeting the ability casting rule, and an ability castingcombination formed by the first ability and the second ability belongingto an ability combination list of the first virtual object, the abilitycombination list including at least one ability casting combinationcorresponding to the first virtual object, and the ability castingcombination including at least two abilities and a casting sequencebetween the abilities.

In an example embodiment, the apparatus further includes:

a second determining module, configured to determine the ability castingtarget of the second ability from the at least two second virtualobjects according to the second trigger operation and an ability castingrule and an ability casting range of the second ability in response tothe trigger operation on the second ability control not belonging to thesecond trigger operation, or, the triggered time of the second triggeroperation being outside the target inheritance period.

In an example embodiment, the second control module 1004 is configuredto:

control the first virtual object to cast the second ability on thetarget virtual object in response to the second ability being a targetedability, the targeted ability being an ability with a specified abilitycasting target; and

determine a relative direction of the target virtual object relative tothe first virtual object in response to the second ability being anon-targeted ability; and control the first virtual object to cast thesecond ability according to the relative direction.

For example, the first ability control includes an automatic controlregion and an active control region, the automatic control region isused for triggering a terminal to determine an ability casting target,direction, or range, and the active control region is used fortriggering a user to select an ability casting target, direction, orrange.

In an example embodiment, the first control module 1002 is configuredto:

determine the target virtual object according to a target automaticsearching rule corresponding to the first ability and in response to thefirst ability being a targeted ability or a non-targeted ability and atouch end position of the first trigger operation is located in theautomatic control region, and cast the first ability; and

determine a second virtual object corresponding to the touch endposition as the target virtual object in response to the first abilitybeing a targeted ability and a touch end position of the first triggeroperation being located in the active control region, and cast the firstability.

Based on the above, in this example embodiment of the disclosure, when atrigger operation on an ability control is received, if the triggeroperation is triggered in an ability casting process of a previousability and the trigger operation meets an ability continuous castingcondition, an ability casting target indicated by the previous abilityis determined as an ability casting target indicated by the currentability, so as to control a virtual object to cast an ability on theability casting target. Through the ability casting target inheritancemechanism, a problem that continuously cast abilities are cast ondifferent objects because different abilities correspond to differentability range can be avoided, and abilities may be cast on the sameobject continuously in an ability continuous casting scenario, therebyimproving accuracy of ability casting.

A person skilled in the art would understand that these “units/modules”could be implemented by hardware logic, computer software code, or acombination of both.

FIG. 11 is a structural block diagram of a terminal according to anembodiment of the disclosure. Generally, a terminal 1100 includes aprocessor 1101 and a memory 1102.

The processor 1101 may include one or more processing cores. Forexample, the processor may be a 4-core processor or an 8-core processor.The processor 1101 may be implemented by using at least one hardwareform of a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gatearray (FPGA), and a programmable logic array (PLA). The processor 1101may alternatively include a main processor and a coprocessor. The mainprocessor is configured to process data in an active state, alsoreferred to as a central processing unit (CPU). The coprocessor is alow-power processor configured to process data in a standby state. Insome embodiments, the processor 1101 may be integrated with a graphicsprocessing unit (GPU). The GPU is configured to render and draw contentthat needs to be displayed on a display screen. In some embodiments, theprocessor 1101 may further include an artificial intelligence (AI)processor. The AI processor is configured to process a computingoperation related to machine learning.

The memory 1102 may include one or more computer-readable storage media.The computer-readable storage medium may be non-transient. The memory1102 may further include a high-speed random access memory, and anon-volatile memory such as one or more magnetic disk storage devicesand a flash memory device. In some embodiments, a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium in the memory 1102 is configured tostore at least one instruction, at least one program, a code set, or aninstruction set, the at least one instruction, the at least one program,the code set, or the instruction set being configured to be executed bythe processor 1101 to implement the method provided in the methodembodiments of the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the terminal 1100 may include a peripheralinterface 1103 and at least one peripheral. The processor 1101, thememory 1102, and the peripheral interface 1103 may be connected througha bus or a signal cable. Each peripheral may be connected to theperipheral interface 1103 through a bus, a signal cable, or a circuitboard. Specifically, the peripheral may include at least one of acommunication interface 1104, a display screen 1105, an audio circuit1106, a camera component 1107, a positioning component 1108, and a powersupply 1109.

A person skilled in the art may understand that the structure shown inFIG. 11 constitutes no limitation on the terminal 1100, and the terminalmay include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, orsome components may be combined, or a different component deployment maybe used.

An embodiment of the disclosure further provides a computer-readablestorage medium, storing at least one instruction, the at least oneinstruction being loaded and executed by a processor to implement thevirtual object control method according to the foregoing embodiments.

An embodiment of the disclosure further provides a computer programproduct, storing at least one instruction, the at least one instructionbeing loaded and executed by a processor to implement the virtual objectcontrol method according to the foregoing embodiments.

A person skilled in the art should be aware of that in the one or moreexamples, the functions described in the embodiments of the disclosuremay be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination ofthe above. When implemented by using software, the functions can bestored in a computer-readable storage medium or can be used as one ormore instructions or code in a computer-readable storage medium fortransferring. The computer-readable storage medium includes a computerstorage medium and a communication medium, where the communicationmedium includes any medium that enables a computer program to betransmitted from one place to another. The storage medium may be anyavailable medium accessible to a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

The foregoing descriptions are merely embodiments of the disclosure, butare not intended to limit the disclosure. Any modification, equivalentreplacement, or improvement made within the spirit and principle of thedisclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A virtual object control method, performed by aterminal, the method comprising: displaying a virtual scene interface,the virtual scene interface comprising a first virtual object, at leasttwo second virtual objects, and at least two ability controls, the firstvirtual object and the second virtual objects being located in a virtualscene, and the ability controls being configured to control the firstvirtual object to cast abilities; determining, in response to a firsttrigger operation on a first ability control, a target virtual objectfrom the at least two second virtual objects and according to the firsttrigger operation, and controlling the first virtual object to cast afirst ability on the target virtual object; determining the targetvirtual object as an ability casting target corresponding to a secondability in response to a second trigger operation on a second abilitycontrol meeting an ability continuous casting condition, the secondtrigger operation being triggered during ability casting of the firstability; and controlling the first virtual object to cast the secondability on the target virtual object.
 2. The method according to claim1, further comprising: determining a target inheritance periodcorresponding to the target virtual object according to an ability flowcorresponding to the first ability and in response to the first triggeroperation, the ability flow being used for controlling a cast procedureof the first ability, and the target inheritance period being a validperiod for the second ability to inherit the target virtual object; andthe determining the target virtual object as an ability casting targetcorresponding to a second ability in response to a second triggeroperation on a second ability control meeting an ability continuouscasting condition comprises: receiving a trigger operation on the secondability control; and determining, in response to the trigger operationon the second ability control belonging to the second trigger operationand a triggered time of the second trigger operation being in the targetinheritance period, that the second trigger operation meets the abilitycontinuous casting condition, and determining the target virtual objectas the ability casting target corresponding to the second ability. 3.The method according to claim 2, wherein the cast procedure controlledby the ability flow comprises an ability casting preparation stage, anability casting stage, and an ability casting ending stage; and thedetermining a target inheritance period corresponding to the targetvirtual object according to an ability flow corresponding to the firstability comprises: determining a duration of the target inheritanceperiod according to a first duration of the ability casting preparationstage and a second duration of the ability casting stage; anddetermining the target inheritance period according to a start executiontime and the duration of the ability flow.
 4. The method according toclaim 2, wherein the second ability control comprises an automaticcontrol region and an active control region, the automatic controlregion being used for triggering a terminal to determine an abilitycasting target, direction, or range, and the active control region beingused for triggering a user to select an ability casting target,direction, or range; and after receiving the trigger operation on thesecond ability control, the method further comprises: determining, inresponse to a touch end position corresponding to the trigger operationon the second ability control being located in the automatic controlregion, that the trigger operation on the second ability control belongsto the second trigger operation.
 5. The method according to claim 2,wherein the determining the target virtual object as an ability castingtarget corresponding to a second ability comprises: obtaining an abilitycasting range and an ability casting rule of the second ability; anddetermining the target virtual object as the ability casting targetcorresponding to the second ability in response to the target virtualobject being located in the ability casting range and the target virtualobject meeting the ability casting rule.
 6. The method according toclaim 5, wherein the determining the target virtual object as theability casting target corresponding to the second ability in responseto the target virtual object being located in the ability casting rangeand the target virtual object meets the ability casting rule comprises:determining the target virtual object as the ability casting targetcorresponding to the second ability in response to the target virtualobject being located in the ability casting range, the target virtualobject meeting the ability casting rule, and an ability castingcombination formed by the first ability and the second ability belongingto an ability combination list of the first virtual object, the abilitycombination list comprising at least one ability casting combinationcorresponding to the first virtual object, and the ability castingcombination comprising at least two abilities and a casting sequencebetween the abilities.
 7. The method according claim 4, furthercomprising: determining the ability casting target of the second abilityfrom the at least two second virtual objects according to the secondtrigger operation and an ability casting rule and an ability castingrange of the second ability in response to the trigger operation on thesecond ability control not belonging to the second trigger operation. 8.The method according to claim 4, further comprising: determining theability casting target of the second ability from the at least twosecond virtual objects according to the second trigger operation and anability casting rule and an ability casting range of the second abilityin response to the triggered time of the second trigger operation beingoutside the target inheritance period.
 9. The method according claim 1,wherein the controlling comprises: controlling the first virtual objectto cast the second ability on the target virtual object in response tothe second ability being a targeted ability, the targeted ability beingan ability with a specified ability casting target.
 10. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the controlling comprises: determining arelative direction of the target virtual object relative to the firstvirtual object in response to the second ability being a non-targetedability; and controlling the first virtual object to cast the secondability according to the relative direction.
 11. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the first ability control comprises an automaticcontrol region and an active control region, the automatic controlregion being used for triggering a terminal to determine an abilitycasting target, direction, or range, and the active control region beingused for triggering a user to select an ability casting target,direction, or range; and the controlling the first virtual object tocast a first ability on the target virtual object comprises: determiningthe target virtual object according to a target automatic searching rulecorresponding to the first ability and in response to the first abilitybeing a targeted ability or a non-targeted ability and a touch endposition of the first trigger operation being located in the automaticcontrol region, and casting the first ability.
 12. The method accordingto claim 1, wherein the first ability control comprises an automaticcontrol region and an active control region, the automatic controlregion being used for triggering a terminal to determine an abilitycasting target, direction, or range, and the active control region beingused for triggering a user to select an ability casting target,direction, or range; and the controlling the first virtual object tocast a first ability on the target virtual object comprises: determininga second virtual object corresponding to the touch end position as thetarget virtual object in response to the first ability being a targetedability and a touch end position of the first trigger operation beinglocated in the active control region, and casting the first ability. 13.A virtual object control apparatus, comprising: a display screen; atleast one memory configured to store computer program code; at least oneprocessor configured to operate as instructed by the computer programcode, the computer program code including: display code configured tocause the at least one processor to display on the display screen, avirtual scene interface, the virtual scene interface comprising a firstvirtual object, at least two second virtual objects, and at least twoability controls, the first virtual object and the second virtualobjects being located in a virtual scene, and the ability controls beingconfigured to control the first virtual object to cast abilities; firstcontrol code configured to cause the at least one processor to:determine, in response to a first trigger operation on a first abilitycontrol, a target virtual object from the at least two second virtualobjects and according to the first trigger operation, and control thefirst virtual object to cast a first ability on the target virtualobject; first determining code configured to cause the at least oneprocessor to determine the target virtual object as an ability castingtarget corresponding to a second ability in response to a second triggeroperation on a second ability control meeting an ability continuouscasting condition, the second trigger operation being triggered duringability casting of the first ability; and second control code configuredto cause the at least one processor to control the first virtual objectto cast the second ability on the target virtual object.
 14. A terminal,comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing at least oneinstruction, at least one program, a code set, or an instruction set,the at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set, orthe instruction set being loaded and executed by the processor toimplement the virtual object control method according to claim
 1. 15.The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the computer program codefurther includes: second determining code configured to cause the atleast one processor to determine a target inheritance periodcorresponding to the target virtual object according to an ability flowcorresponding to the first ability and in response to the first triggeroperation, the ability flow being used for controlling a cast procedureof the first ability, and the target inheritance period being a validperiod for the second ability to inherit the target virtual object; andthe first determine code further comprises: receiving code configured tocause the at least one processor to receive a trigger operation on thesecond ability control; and third determining code configured to causethe at least one processor to determine, in response to the triggeroperation on the second ability control belonging to the second triggeroperation and a triggered time of the second trigger operation being inthe target inheritance period, that the second trigger operation meetsthe ability continuous casting condition, and determining the targetvirtual object as the ability casting target corresponding to the secondability.
 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the castprocedure comprises an ability casting preparation stage, an abilitycasting stage, and an ability casting ending stage; and the seconddetermining code further comprises: fourth determining code configuredto cause the at least one processor to determine a duration of thetarget inheritance period according to a first duration of the abilitycasting preparation stage and a second duration of the ability castingstage; and fifth determining code configured to cause the at least oneprocessor to determine the target inheritance period according to astart execution time and the duration of the ability flow.
 17. Theapparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second ability controlcomprises an automatic control region and an active control region, theautomatic control region being used for triggering a terminal todetermine an ability casting target, direction, or range, and the activecontrol region being used for triggering a user to select an abilitycasting target, direction, or range; and after receiving the triggeroperation on the second ability control, the apparatus furthercomprises: determining, in response to a touch end positioncorresponding to the trigger operation on the second ability controlbeing located in the automatic control region, that the triggeroperation on the second ability control belongs to the second triggeroperation.
 18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the firstdetermining code further comprises: first obtaining code configured tocause the at least on processor to obtain an ability casting range andan ability casting rule of the second ability; and sixth determiningcode configured to cause the at least one processor to determine thetarget virtual object as the ability casting target corresponding to thesecond ability in response to the target virtual object being located inthe ability casting range and the target virtual object meets theability casting rule.
 19. The apparatus according to claim 18, whereinthe sixth determining code is further configured to cause the at leastone processor to: determine the target virtual object as the abilitycasting target corresponding to the second ability in response to thetarget virtual object being located in the ability casting range, thetarget virtual object meets the ability casting rule, and an abilitycasting combination formed by the first ability and the second abilitybelongs to an ability combination list of the first virtual object, theability combination list comprising at least one ability castingcombination corresponding to the first virtual object, and the abilitycasting combination comprising at least two abilities and a castingsequence between the abilities.
 20. A non-volatile computer readablememory storage medium, storing computer code that when executed by atleast one processor causes the at least one processor to: display avirtual scene interface, the virtual scene interface comprising a firstvirtual object, at least two second virtual objects, and at least twoability controls, the first virtual object and the second virtualobjects being located in a virtual scene, and the ability controls beingconfigured to control the first virtual object to cast abilities;determine, in response to a first trigger operation on a first abilitycontrol, a target virtual object from the at least two second virtualobjects and according to the first trigger operation, and controllingthe first virtual object to cast a first ability on the target virtualobject; determine the target virtual object as an ability casting targetcorresponding to a second ability, when a second trigger operation on asecond ability control meets an ability continuous casting condition,the second trigger operation being triggered during ability casting ofthe first ability; and control the first virtual object to cast thesecond ability on the target virtual object.